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My new puppy has worms and is sick. What's the treatment and cost?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Siberian Husky | Female | 6 months and 3 days old | 50 lbs

My roommate and I recently adopted a husky from "a broken home". We noticed she was acting strange, low energy, didn't eat or drink, and today I found a worm attached to her backside. I don't know the cost to treat her, and I don't know how long she's had them, considering we just got her two days ago. Any type of information about treatment and costs would be extremely helpful; this is our first pet and we're scared. Thanks! (We were also told she's 6 months old but we don't know for sure.)

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Macartney, BVet Med, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on July 26th, 2017

I am so sorry to hear that your new puppy Mia Grace has worms. This can be very troubling for you both. First of all rest assured that worms are very common in puppies. So much so that puppies are routinely treated several times from 2-3 weeks old. It is possible that Mia Grace never had these routine de-working treatments when she was younger and should have them now instead. Dogs make the ideal candidates for worm infestations, as they scavenge, and inspect other animals fences. Most worms that infect dogs -- including roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, and whipworms -- live in the intestines, so that’s the first place for your vet to look. I would suggest taking Mia Grace in for a check-up with your vet as she is new to your family. The vet will check her overall health and will make sure she is up to date on her vaccines. De-worming tablets or injections are relatively inexpensive and table from $10, depending on weight of your dog. I hope this answer was helpful!

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    Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I am sorry to hear about Mia Grace. It is hard for me to tell you for certain the cost of services needed for her for two reasons. Cost of veterinary care can vary by region and by vet hospital, so I would recommend calling your local vet offices for estimates on pricing. In addition to this, I am not sure what type of worm you saw and how it was attached to your dog. It could have been an intestinal parasite such as a tapeworm stuck to the fur around the anus, which is not an expensive treatment. It could be a cuterebra larvae http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2388 which requires removal and cleaning of the wound but usually isn't an extensive procedure. It could also be maggots in a skin wound which is often more involved/expensive because the wound must be cleaned/explored/debrided. I would recommend setting up an appointment with a local vet and they can give you an estimate based on what the worm is!

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